National History Day Offers Two Graduate Courses for Fall 2015

04/02/2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – National History Day (NHD) announced this morning that it will offer two online graduate courses, Introduction to Project-Based Learning Using the National History Day Curriculum Framework, and Conducting Historical Research in the National History Day Model, in September 2015. These courses are designed for middle and high school teachers and librarians who want to implement a projectbased curriculum using the framework of the NHD program. Participating educators will earn three graduate credits from the University of San Diego while creating classroom-ready materials customized to the needs of their students.

For the last 30 years, NHD has developed materials, lessons, and summer institutes to help teachers improve their content knowledge and their strategies for working with students. Through this graduate program, NHD wants to expand and support these professional development opportunities for educators across the nation and around the world. The courses will provide practical advice as well as pedagogical strategies.

“National History Day firmly believes that ongoing teacher professional development is the best way to improve the quality of education that our students receive,” said NHD Executive Director Cathy Gorn. “These courses are designed to aide teachers in their efforts to engage, educate, and improve student achievement and historical thinking skills in the classroom.”

The courses offer teachers an asynchronous learning environment that allows teachers flexibility to complete course work at times that are most convenient for them. The courses will run from September 1 to December 14, 2015. Registration will close on Friday, August 14, 2015. Educators can learn more or register for either course online at www.nhd.org/onlineeducation.

About National History Day: NHD is a nonprofit education organization in College Park, MD. Established in 1974, NHD offers yearlong academic programs that engage over half a million middle and high school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. These research-based projects are entered into contests at the local and affiliate levels, where the top student projects have the opportunity to advance to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD also seeks to improve the quality of history education by providing professional development opportunities and curriculum materials for educators. NHD is sponsored in part by Kenneth E. Behring, Patricia Behring, HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, the Joe Weider Foundation and the WEM 2000 Foundation of the Dorsey & Whitney Foundation.